章 144: Thank you, system

It's only been a few days since my life got upended by this so-called perfect match system. Being matched with Thalira? What a cruel joke. Thalira and I have always been friends, sure, but that's it. Just friends.

Now, I'm stuck living with her, and it's driving me up the wall. This whole situation is unbearable. It's starting to feel like a gilded cage, beautiful on the outside but suffocating on the inside.

Thalira's mother talks about the benefits of the perfect match, about how this is all for the best. But what does she know? She doesn't understand how forced this feels. Every morning, I'm reminded that I'm not where I belong. And then there's Lise.

Lise, who's always been my rock, my comfort. She's vanished, and it's tearing me apart. I can't even contact her. The guards at Thalira's house won't let me out of their sight, and it feels like I'm under house arrest.